ARSENAL return from the international break with a mammoth trip to Manchester City – and the result could be season-defining for both teams.
The Gunners sit top of the tree going into the weekend – ahead of Liverpool by goal difference and a point clear of upcoming opponents City.
Arsenal’s phenomenal form has propelled them to the summit after winning EIGHT consecutive Premier League matches, scoring 33 goals in the process.
However, Pep’s Treble winners will still be labelled favourites to win this contest as the North London outfit have not beaten City at the Etihad since January 2015.
Furthermore, City are renowned for not dropping points during the final run-in.
But Mikel Arteta will be hoping his side’s dramatic penalty shoot-out Champions League win against Porto can inspire Arsenal to break this eight-year curse.
Read more on Arsenal
Recent form
The champions are unbeaten in 22 games and are still fighting for the Treble thanks to recent wins over Newcastle in the FA Cup and Copenhagen in the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola’s side battled to a 1-1 draw with Liverpool earlier this month despite losing Ederson to injury.
The Citizens easily could have lost that game but showed good character to pick up a point – which could have been three if Jeremy Doku’s strike that hit the post went a few inches to the left.
Arsenal also made it through to the Champions League quarter-final last time out with victory over Porto, and they have not lost since their FA Cup clash with Liverpool in January.
Most read in Football
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKER
The Gunners have blown teams away with big thrashings in recent weeks, particularly on the road, with 17 goals in their last three away games.
What is the team news?
Guardiola has several injury concerns ahead of this huge title clash against Arsenal.
Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish were left out of their respective international squads due to groin problems but both have taken part in training this week.
Captain Kyle Walker withdrew from England duties after sustaining a hamstring injury, however, the right-back is expected to be fit to participate.
But John Stones (abductor), Manuel Akanji (muscle) and Ederson (muscle) are all expected to miss out.
Elsewhere, Arsenal stars Gabriel Magalhaes and Bukayo Saka left their international camps early after picking up minor injuries.
Gabriel Martinelli is in a race against time as he looks to shake off a foot injury he received before the international break.
While Timber still seems to be unavailable as the Dutchman didn’t feature in Arsenal’s loss to QPR which involved Takehiro Tomiyasu and Thomas Partey.
Star men
Phil Foden has been City’s main man this season and has frequently popped up in big games with match-winning goals.
He has embraced the responsibility of being City’s chief creator in the absence of De Bruyne and may have to fulfil that role once again with the Belgian an injury doubt.
Foden, 23, has created 57 chances this season in just 28 games, with 11 goals and seven assists.
As good as Foden has been, he has been surpassed in terms of creating chances by Martin Odegaard.
Arsenal need a captain’s performance from the Norwegian, who is beginning to find his best form of the season.
A return of 73 chances created in just 25 games shows he knows how to unlock a defence, and he has been key to Arsenal’s free-scoring form in recent weeks.
SunSport prediction
There have been goals galore in recent Arsenal games of late but these two sides should cancel each other out as they did in their meeting at The Emirates. 1-1.
When is Man City vs Arsenal?
- Manchester City and Arsenal will lock horns THIS Sunday – March 31.
- The huge title clash is scheduled to get underway at 4:30pm GMT
- Etihad Stadium is the allocated arena for this thrilling match and it can host approximately 53,400 fans.
- Gabriel Martinelli’s late strike earned Arsenal a famous victory when the sides met earlier this season.
What TV channel is it on and can it be live streamed?
- Manchester City vs Arsenal will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK.
- Coverage is expected to commence from 4pm GMT – 30 minutes before kick-off on both channels.
- Fans can stream the match through NOW TV.
- Alternatively, SunSport will have minute-by-minute coverage of the game through our live blog.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
What are the odds?
- Man City to win 20/23
- Draw 27/10
- Arsenal to win 14/5
*Odds courtesy of Paddy Power are correct at time of publication
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
